We sit down with Ted Koch, Executive Director of the North American Grouse Partnership to discuss the recent proposal on 5/26 to the list the Lesser Prairie-Chicken under the Endangered Species Act. We cover how we got here, what we can do to bring the bird back from the brink, and some of the tools that can help get the job done.
Show notes:
1:10 - Intro to Ted Koch
2:25 - Ted and Aaron’s latest outdoor adventures
3:50 – what is the Lesser Prairie-Chicken
6:25 – how did we get to the need to list as an endangered species
9:10 – why the Lesser Prairie-Chicken was proposed for listing now
11:00 – what are next steps and what should we be paying attention to
16:18 – when the Lesser Prairie-Chicken was last hunted
17:50 – the various tools we can use to help recover the Lesser Prairie-Chicken starting with the Farm Bill’s Conservation Reserve Program
22:00 – The Grasslands Act and how it can help
25:10 – a big shout out to Aviva Glaser, NWF’s Director of Agriculture Policy, and her amazing work on prairie conservation
27:23 – what are the implications of climate change on the prairies and the Lesser Prairie-Chicken
32:10 – what we know we can do right now to help
34:00 – the state of America’s prairies – how much we’ve lost
37:00 – a great story about grouse in Ted’s family
42:10 – the gift Ted gave his son later from that original hunt
43:10 – what can an average person do to help the prairies and the Lesser Prairie-Chicken
46:30 – the grasslands need our help
47:45 – Lew Carpenter’s, NWF’s Director of Conservation Partnerships for NM, AZ, CO, and NE, role at the North America Grouse Partnership
Resources:
The North American Grouse Partnership:
http://www.grousepartners.org/
USFWS Press release on listing proposal:
https://www.fws.gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?ref=service-seeks-comment-on-proposal-to-list-the-lesser-prairie-chicken-&_ID=36914
Description of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lesser_Prairie-Chicken/media-browser/163988331
Recent op-ed on Grasslands from the CEOs of National Wildlife Federation, Pheasants Forever, National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation:
https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/528890-americas-dwindling-grasslands-require-action?rl=1
Link to NWF's Farm Bill work:
https://www.nwf.org/Our-Work/Our-Lands/Farm-Bill
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